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Rosemary Butler was the Choir Contractor for the Living With War album by Neil Young. The experience of singing those songs, with one hundred music industry top professionals, was a moving experience for all.
Neil Young will be releasing the Living with War album on his website located here. It is now available in retail stores Tracklist: Rosemary's family have a rich history of military and patriotic service. Read about them here. Rose's newsletter has some stirring versions during 9-11. For some great thoughts and graphics click here and here. Some thoughts from Rosemary regarding the session and being the Conductor/Contractor of "Living with War": I am an Army brat, and grew up on Army bases. My Dad was a Captain, and won many medals, including the Silver Star for heroic bravery. My uncles,aunt,& brothers were in the service. My brother-in-law, a Green Beret, was exposed to Agent Orange and got Leukemia. Everyone else in his detail died. I started my peace activism when I was touring with Jackson Browne. We were always playing at peace rallies. We did a year of playing at all the nuclear power plants and where all the nuclear warheads are in our country. I sang at the Muse Concerts (Musicians United for Safe Energy) backing up lots of artists. No Nukes became a film. I was a Captain of Westwood, California for the Hands Across America event. I sang with James Taylor, and Bonnie Raitt in Russia at a fantastic Peace concert (sort of their Woodstock) in Moscow for the culmination of the Great Peace March where lots of people walked from America’s west coast to the east coast and then across Russia. Russia didn’t even have a word in their language that meant Peace. Bonnie Raitt and I demonstrated with the marchers on the steps of Kremlin, while the guards goose-stepped nervously around us. I even had a view of a Russian nuclear power plant I could see from my window. I sang with Linda Ronstadt for many years and was used to being around the Secret Servicemen with their earpieces because Linda used to date Gerry Brown. I sang with Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville for Bill Clinton’s Inaugural in Washington D.C. Many other events come to mind: We played at the Prince’s Trust for Charles and Diane and the Royal family. David Foster called me to sing in a choir that was recorded for Celine Dion to sing with after 911 when the four biggest networks became one with just candles lit. I sang with Ray Charles on America the Beautiful. I was signed to EMI Toshiba in Japan and sang in a film about uniting children from all over the world . I was touring with James Taylor in Europe when America accidentally bombed the French Embassy. We played in Ireland where we saw military tanks and young soldiers parked inside the airports where you buy your tickets. I was so impacted by my visit to Hiroshima and the Berlin wall at Checkpoint Charlie. The feelings there were so overwhelming, it is hard to speak of them. I feel I was blessed to be the Contractor and Conductor for the choir for Neil Young's Living with War album and DVD. The experience was a once-in-a-lifetime event, made even more so because it happened on my birthday, April 6. To stand and conduct this talented group of industry pros, the swell of the music and the strength of the emotions were so powerful it blew you away. Also, my interview
with Jim Ladd of KLOS was such a memorable experience because it allowed
me to reach out and hear from you regarding your feelings about the
album. Hear tracks from that interview: Listen
I always think of Mother Theresa's saying: "If you want to stop the war, look in your own backyard, in how you relate with others, with yourself." I would love to hear from you. Please e-mail me and
let me know your thoughts.
[Rosemary Butler Bio][Be A Vocal Star!][Buy Vocal Warm Up CD][E-Mail] ©CybervilleUSA2006, 2007, 2008
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Listen
to the KLOS Rosemary Butler/Jim Ladd interview